Local barber recently celebrated 50 years of service

By Kelsyn Parker
Contributing Writer

New Orleans sees him as its champion: “They say Muhammad Ali is the greatest. No! Mr. Green is the greatest.”

Those are the words of Albert Mims Jr., a 66-year-old New Orleanian with close ties to Martin Richard Green of the Park Place Premier Barber School. On Sept. 2, Mr. Green, as many residents throughout the city call him, was recognized by the barber school for his 50 years of service that has consisted of training over 5,000 barbers and beauticians. At the ceremony, Green’s presence brought together both current and former students, barbering colleagues and others who have been positively impacted by him and the life lessons he offers.

“The significance of Park Place Premier Barber School is to train both men and women in the profession of barbering to become licensed professionals in the industry,” said Angela Davis, an administrator at the trade school.

Green found a home in the barbering school as an instructor in the 2000s after graduating from the now-closed Katie’s School of Barbering in 1970. While Green described his experience of coming up in New Orleans as being a wonderful journey, he extended his services across the state and country. This led him to holding leadership positions within the Louisiana State Beauticians and Barbers Association Inc., the National Beauty Culturists’ League Inc. and with Sigma Nu Theta National Fraternity Inc.

“Mr. Green always motivated you in the most successful, positive way,” said TaRyan Theophile, a former student of Green’s. Theophile’s father and Green knew each other as colleagues in the profession. When Theophile decided to follow in his father’s footsteps, Green was immediately supportive. “When he met me, he told me he knew I was going to be good,” Theophile said.

Just as he does Green, Theophile said he also holds the renowned Park Place Premier Barber School in the highest regard. “This school doesn’t just make people barbers,” he said. “It sets them up as men. They leave this school with more motive, more ambition, and makes them have bigger dreams,” Theophile said.

“When students enter Park Place Premier Barber School, it changes their attitude. They come in with a street attitude and leave out gentlemen,” Theophile said. “I aspire to accomplish what he has accomplished. I’m following in his same footsteps. To be so adaptive through these many generations of barbering is great,” Theophile said.

Green said it was important for him to have an impact on his community.

“When you’re a good person and do good things for people, people will like you,” said Green before receiving a plaque of commemoration for his 50 years of service by the Louisiana State Beauticians and Barbers Association, Inc. The love and reverence he is given by students comes to no surprise to Green as he has committed acts of good deeds for decades. In some cases, “students complete the course without paying,” he said.

Although Green asserts he is exceptionally proud of how he is received by both the barbering world and the city of New Orleans, he wants there to be more figures of his stature.

“I would advise anyone interested in the field of barbering and hairstyling to put everything in, every effort to be successful,” Green said. “If they are successful and enjoy what they like, they can put in 50 years like one year,” he said.

“Always participate in workshops and conventions. Don’t just stand behind the chair. It’s always good to add on to your education,” said Green. “That’s for every field.”

This article originally published in the September 7, 2020 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.